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Sunday, December 27, 2009

Concert Fans Beware: Stop Merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation

We received this email on our 9:30 Club mailing list from owner Seth Hurwitz. Hurwitz' 9:30 Club is a quite legendary in Washington, D.C. that we've been frequenting since it opened back at the original 930 F St., NW location.

We admit that we get so many calls to action, that we've been somewhat numb to a lot of them. But we try and pass along those we sincerely believe that maybe we can make a difference if we really try.

So, if you think live music is better, read on....

There’s a train wreck about to happen and consumer groups say YOU will be the victim if the two most powerful corporate interests in the live concert business get their way. But you can help stop the merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation. The government needs to hear from music fans now. Tell the Department of Justice that you’re against these monopolies amassing illegal power over consumers, before it’s too late. antitrust.complaints@usdoj.gov

As a concertgoer you have already felt the pain, and if Ticketmaster and Live Nation get their way, it’ll get worse. In the last 12 years, since Live Nation and its predecessor started its widespread takeover of the concert industry, concert ticket prices have shot up 82% while the consumer price index has gone up just 17%*. We are concerned that if the two concert industry behemoths, Live Nation and Ticketmaster, are permitted to merge, the variety and quality of artists coming to local venues will be affected, and your costs could rise further and faster.

Five of the nation’s most prominent public interest groups called on the Department of Justice to block the proposed merger of Ticketmaster and Live Nation:

“Consumers deserve a fair deal in the entertainment marketplace, not the fewer choices and higher prices that would result from this merger,” said Susan Grant, Director of Consumer Protection at Consumer Federation of America

“This merger is an insult to both musicians and consumers,” said James Love, Director of Knowledge Ecology International

“We cannot envision a remedy that would ease this chilling impediment to competition… In the absence of other effective, expeditious remedies, the proposed transaction should be prohibited.” American Antitrust Institute White Paper

As described by Senator Herb Kohl (WI) in the House Antitrust hearing, “This merger will not only expand Ticketmaster’s control of the ticketing market by eliminating a competitor, but it is also creating an entity that will control the entire chain of the concert business – from artist management to concert promotion and production to ticketing and ticket resale.”

“This merger would be a disaster for consumers. Nothing short of blocking this takeover of the ticket market by two industry behemoths will be acceptable,” said National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg

“As president, I will direct my administration to reinvigorate antitrust enforcement. I will step up review of merger activity and take effective action to stop or restructure those mergers that are likely to harm consumer welfare…,” said Senator Barack Obama when he was campaigning for the presidency.

If you agree with the consumer groups and lawmakers, make a difference and LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD NOW.

Send a message to the Antitrust Division of the Department of Justice telling them you support President Obama’s campaign promise to protect the American public from abusive monopolies.

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1 Comments:

I received a nearly-identically-worded email from JAM Productions. I am disturbed, though, because the routing headers on the email indicate that the mail was sent to me through a ticketmaster.com mail server.

In addition, the "ticketdisaster.org" site mentioned at the end of the email seems to be a creation of the National Association of Ticket Brokers, an organization that represents a group of people who've done more than either Live Nation or Ticketmaster to jack up ticket prices past the point where average music fans can afford to see and support their favorite artists or sports teams.

To me, this is like having to award the Humanitarian of the Year Award to either Iran, North Korea, or al Qaeda.